Early people ‘were intentionally crafting stone balls 1.4 million years ago’
E
arly people appreciated geometry and symmetry and had been deliberately crafting spherical shapes round 1.4 million years in the past, in keeping with an evaluation of historic stone balls.
Experts from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel scrutinised 150 limestone balls – or spheroids – unearthed in ‘Ubeidiya, an archaeological site in the Jordan Rift Valley in Israel.
The team reconstructed the steps required to create these spheroids and found the patterns on the artefacts were crafted as part of “a preconceived goal to make a sphere”.
The researchers said their findings, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, challenge the view that the spheroids were created as by-products of other tasks.
Antoine Muller, a researcher at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s The Institute of Archaeology, stated: “The important significance of the findings is that these spheroids from ‘Ubeidiya appear to be intentionally made, with the goal of achieving a sphere.
“This suggests an appreciation of geometry and symmetry by hominins 1.4 million years ago.”
Ancient spheroids were part of the daily lives of early humans nearly two million years but what exactly they were used for has remained a mystery.
To understand more about these enigmatic objects, the researchers used 3D analysis methods and other cutting edge technologies to retrace how they were created, based on the markings and the geometry of the spheroids.
The main significance of the findings is that these spheroids from ‘Ubeidiya appear to be intentionally made, with the goal of achieving a sphere
The team believe that these objects may have been intentionally “knapped” – a technique used to shape stone by striking it.
The researchers said the limestone pieces were “reduced” to create spherical shapes.
This transformation towards an ideal sphere required exceptional knapping skills and a clear preconceived goal, the team added.
However, the purpose of the spheroids still remain unclear.
Mr Muller said: “We still can’t be assured about what they had been used for.
“Lots of work must be finished to slender down their performance.”